Remember 'Chicken Soup For The Soul'? Back in the 90s, almost everyone I knew was into that. We exchanged 'CSFTS' books and we shared stories with friends, neighbours and colleagues. Now, there is 'Gives Me Hope' which is similar to 'CSFTS'. The stories are short and simple (twitter-style, they say) yet the messages ring true. It doesn't matter if they are real or not. What is important is the message that hope is indeed a powerful feeling. There are lots of heart-warming and inspirational stories from which we can draw our strength whenever the chips are down. Sometimes, we need a little boost and motivation to go about our daily lives. There are lots of challenges, hurdles and pain to overcome. I'm sure there are times when we feel truly down and out too. When we have nothing left in this world, hope might be our one and only salvation. Most of time time, we tend to use the word 'hope' too casually. Without hope, life might as well be over. There is also an extension of 'GMH' called 'Love Gives Me Hope'. For those who like little uplifting stories and anecdotes like these to start their day, here are a few to begin with.Story 1
A 74-year old man has an rare antibody in his plasma that stops babies dying from Rhesus disease, a form of severe anaemia. He has donated plasma almost 1000 times since he was 18 years old. He has saved an estimated 2.2 million babies so far. James Harrison, you GMH. Story 2
About a year before my dog died, he started to go blind. When my cat realized this, she began helping him find his way by rubbing against his legs, running ahead of him, and meowing loudly so he could follow the sound of her voice. The love pets have not just for people but for each other GMH.Story 3
4 months ago, I was diagnosed with Alopecia. A month later I had lost all of my hair. I was scared to come to school because I thought everyone would stare at me. The next morning I heard a knock on my door and ten of my friends were standing on my porch with freshly shaved heads. Two of them were girls. They're the best friends ever. GMH.Story 4
Today was my cousin Kaylee's fifth birthday, and a little girl with Dwarfism was at her party. Kaylee came up to me holding her hand and said,"This is my best friend Elena, and she can't grow. She's special, God made her that way." My baby cousin's blind love for others GMH.Story 5
My brother is autistic and can't talk. 3 years ago, he got his first Valentine's card. It was from a girl in his class he had a crush on. She has sent him a card every year since. Understanding and love GMH.
